Seventh Annual Research Symposium on Gender and Sexuality

Hidden Figures: Stories and Dreams of Social Justice

On Wednesday, March 14, 2018 Wake Forest University will host its seventh annual student research symposium on gender and sexuality, featuring moderated sessions of scholarly and creative presentations by Wake Forest students. This event will showcase the exciting work that our undergraduates and graduate students are doing on gender-related issues across disciplines.

Taking its cue from the forgotten story of the African-American women who helped build NASA, this year’s theme, “Hidden Figures: Stories and Dreams of Social Justice,” can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Much like the silence breakers who are giving voice to a movement that is powerful but has no name, or the hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants (the “dreamers”) who have sought protection under the DACA program, or the recently surfaced and previously forgotten story of the pioneering African-American women of NASA, this year’s theme refers to the significant re-emergence of non- dominant, non-normative, marginal, and hidden stories. By placing those who are currently marginalized in the center and by making visible those stories that are invisible, we are presented with the most effective way to resist efforts to compartmentalize experiences and undermine potential collective action.

“Hidden figures” also refers to gender and race segregation in science. It is important to understand how all forms of oppression are linked and how they intersect to shape socio-political landscapes and personal identities, thus creating reasons for the “hiding”. These intersecting systems of power and privilege include, but are not limited to, sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism, ageism, ableism, and colonialism. For this symposium, we invite presentations that address a vision of equality attentive to the inclusion of marginalized groups and disadvantaged individuals with the goal of restructuring and remaking the world.